The invention generally relates to electrical switches and more particularly relates to momentary-contact seat-adjustment switches.
An electrical momentary-contact switch with an actuating element that is arranged in a housing so that it can be turned and displaced crosswise is known from the prior art. The actuating element cooperates with three slide-type switching elements that respectively contain two spring-loaded contact rollers for acting upon strip contacts, wherein the strip contacts are realized in the form of stamped grids. The stamped grid is embedded in a base and contains terminal contacts. The longitudinal sides of the essentially rectangular slide-type switching elements are aligned parallel to one another in the housing and contain projections that engage with the actuating element. Here, the central slide-type switching element is guided on two ridges on the housing side, such that it can be displaced back and forth in a first travel direction. The central slide-type switching element is not affected when the actuating element is turned. The two outer slide-type switching elements are also guided by ridges on the housing side which are aligned perpendicularly to the ridges for the central slide-type switching element and can be displaced in a second travel direction of the actuating element that extends perpendicularly to the first travel direction. The two outer slide-type switching elements are displaced in mutually opposite directions when the actuating element is turned. The two outer slide-type switching elements are spring-loaded with respect to the housing in order to hold the actuating element and the slide-type switching elements in an idle position. The arrangement of the slide-type switching elements makes it impossible to act upon the strip contacts by simultaneously turning and displacing the actuating element.
DE 196 10 344 A1 discloses a multifunction operating device for a motor vehicle which serves for the selection of menus and/or functions and contains an operating element that can be actuated axially and rotatably, where a complete function is activated by axially displacing the operating element. The operating element cooperates with contact elements and is arranged such that it can be transversely displaced within at least one plane that contains the axis of the operating element. Menus and/or functions are assigned to the contact positions of the operating element along its transverse travel path within said plane.
DE 40 33 129 A1 discloses a switching device with an actuating element that contains a stationary contact arrangement and a movable contact arrangement. In this case, contacts of the movable contact arrangement are displaced and act upon contacts of the stationary contact arrangement when the actuating element is displaced or turned. The stationary contact arrangement and the movable contact arrangement are respectively located in one plane. The contacts of the movable contact arrangement are combined in groups of three and mechanically coupled to the actuating element.
DE 35 24 439 A1 and DE 197 56 052 A1 respectively disclose a multifunction switch for adjusting the mirrors of a motor vehicle, wherein these multifunction switches contain an actuating element that is supported such that can be pivoted like a universal joint and turned.